RIT Students, Staff to Appear on Law & Order: Criminal Intent

March 20 episode will deal with numerous deaf issues

A group of eight RIT community members will make guest appearances on the NBC drama Law & Order: Criminal Intent March 20.

The group, which includes five students from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, an NTID alumnus, NTID assistant professor Luane Davis Haggerty and Public Safety Senior Officer Idalia Vazquez, served as “extras” in the episode, which will deal with numerous deaf issues.

The opportunity arose when Davis Haggerty, a union actress who runs a theater company in New York City, was contacted by an agent who said that the show was seeking deaf actors who could sign. The agent called to hire Davis Haggerty. When she did, Davis Haggerty offered the services of her students, as well.

The group drove to New York City Feb. 15 and was on the set for nearly 14 hours. Davis Haggerty says the experience was more than worth it.

“It was a fabulous experience,” Davis Haggerty says. “We were treated very, very well and with great respect. I had warned the students that, although this was going to be cool and a great first experience, there was probably going to be a lot of waiting around and it might be a little boring. That was not the case.”

Each member of the RIT group is expected to get camera time when the show airs at 9 p.m. March 20 on NBC.